Mythic Ancestries and Monsters of the Americas

Spanning North America from the Alaska to Mexico, here are playable ancestries and a selection of monsters from myth and legend for use by players and Dark Masters of Shadowdark.

Playable Ancestries

Chaneque

Chaneques are a fey people with dark stone grey, red, or brown skin and black or brown hair about half the size of a human. They are known for loving jokes and pranks, gambling, drinking, and crafting. They typically live in deep forests and mountainous terrain.

You speak Common, Sylvan, and your own native language.

Forest Form. Chaneques can turn into a forest animal such as a badger, sparrow, or fox of equal or lower level once per day for 1 round per level. In animal form, a chaneque gains all abilities of the animal except mental abilities, which do not change.

Pukwudgie

Pukwudgies resemble humans, but about half the size, have a canine-like nose, and have oversized ears, lips, and fingers. Their skin is smooth and grey, like stone, and their long, stiff hair forms spines like the quills of a porcupine draping down over their shoulders. They are natural pranksters but with a vengeful streak, and will pull cruel tricks on those who disrespect them. Stealthy hunters, the pukwudgie prefers to live in dense forests.

You speak Common, Sylvan, and your native Pukwudgie language.

Quills. The pukwudgie’s long mane of sharp spines makes it difficult to grapple one. It gains advantage against being grappled, and any creature grappling it takes 1d4 damage on each turn it has grappled the pukwudgie.

Tcetin

A furry arboreal race often called “Tailed Ones”, the tcetin have fine fur over all of their body except their face and hands. They have prehensile tails like a monkey and can be seen hanging from tree branches by this extra limb. Living in caves located in dense forests, they are excellent climbers.

You know the Common, Tcetin, and Sylvan languages.

Arboreal Climbers. You are unhindered by terrain in forests and have a prehensile tail that you can hang from and use to carry and manipulate small items.

Folkloric Monsters

Aniwye

An enormous, monstrous skunk the size of a large bear or small elephant that reeks of the grave and hungers for human flesh. They enjoy nesting on piles of rotting corpses and their spray is toxic and corrosive. AC 13, HP 43, ATK 2 claw +6 (2d6) or 1 caustic spray +3, MV near (burrow), S +4, D +3, C +3, I +1, W +1, Ch -3, AL C, LV 9

Carrion Stench. Living creatures DC 15 CON the first time within near or suffer disadvantage on attacks and spellcasting for 5 rounds.

Caustic Spray. The aniwye can spray a target up to double near distance away. Metal that is hit is destroyed on a d6 roll of 1-3. Living creatures struck are sickened unless they pass a DC 15 CON check, failure drops the target to 0 hit points in 1d4 rounds. The target gains a carrion stench that affects anyone in close range. No amount of non-magical cleaning or washing can remove this stench.

Crush. Deals an extra die of damage if it hits the same target with both claws.

Tracking. Despite its own odour, the aniwye can always sense the direction of its chosen quarry.

Baykok

A perilous undead horror spawned when a doomed warrior dies after committing a horrible crime such as incest or cannibalism, the baykok moves and attacks from the sky while remaining invisible. The baykok is rail thin and has tight, translucent skin. Its eyes are red and glow softly like embers in a fire. AC 15, HP 58, ATK 3 arrow +6 (1d8 + paralysis) or 3 war club +7 (1d10), MV double near (fly), S +4, D +3, C +4, I +2, W +1, Ch +1, AL C, LV 12

Ambush. Deal an extra die of damage when undetected.

Arrows of Paralysis. Targets struck by a baykok’s arrows must make a DC 15 CON check or be paralysed for 1d6 minutes.

Invisibility. Baykoks can turn invisible and stay so while attacking for up to 10 total rounds per day.

Rage. 1/day, immune to morale checks, +1d4 damage (3 rounds).

Roar. In place of attacks, all creatures who can hear within near DC 15 CHA or be paralysed by fear for 1d4 minutes.

Supreme Undead. Immune to morale checks. Only damaged by magical sources

Hag, Lechuza

An old woman with greyish skin, sharp teeth, and long, grey hair, the lechuza is a shapeshifter who can take on owl-like forms. They often appear as owls from the neck down or turn into giant owls. They prefer dwelling in deep forests full of wild game, away from civilisation. AC 15, HP 32, ATK 2 claw +4 (1d8), MV near, S +2, D +3, C +1, I +1, W +4, Ch +3, AL C, LV 7

Curse. The lechuza stares at a single target to give that person the evil eye. The target must pass a DC 15 CHA or gain a magical curse, suffering disadvantage on attacks and spellcasting checks for 1d6 days.

Keen Senses. Lechuzas have sharp eyes and hearing, and can rotate their heads like an owl. They can't be surprised.

Owl Forms. Lechuzas can shapechange into giant owls or take partial owl forms instantly. If the form adopted has an owl head the lechuza gains a bite attack for 1d6 damage at +2. If the form has wings, the lechuza can fly near distances.

Shapechange. Instantly change to look like any other humanoid.

Thunderbird

A titanic magical bird resembling a vast eagle that creates storms as it flies. The thunderbird is feared and revered, placated as a source of dangerous but replenishing storms. AC 15, HP 83, ATK 4 rend +9 (2d12 + grab), MV double near (fly), S +8, D +4, C +2, I+2, W +4, Ch+2, AL N, LV 18

Grab. DC 18 STR or target held. DC 18 STR on turn to break free.

Impervious. The thunderbird is immune to cold and lightning damage. Only damaged by magical sources.

Lightning Aura. Creatures within near of the thunderbird at start of turn DC 18 CON or 3d6 damage.

Lightning Bolt. The thunderbird can cast a Lightning Bolt spell on its turn in place of an attack.

Lightning Step. The thunderbird can turn into a bolt of lightning and teleport to any point it can see.

Storm Effect. The thunderbird can drench an area within far range in all directions in torrential rain and wind. Open flames are quenched and visibility is limited to close range within this area.